


Champagne High

by Gallazank



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallazank/pseuds/Gallazank
Summary: I don’t need your “closure”
Relationships: Frankie Grande/Zach Rance
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Champagne High

**Author's Note:**

> The distance seemed right  
> At the time it was best  
> To leave, and to leave behind  
> What I once thought was fine and so real to me  
> And while I'm still gone  
> On the quest for my song  
> I'm at your celebration

White flowers hung off of the gold chairs, gleaming in the twilight draped against the bright white cushions. The rows were perfect, leading up to the arch that was covered with ivy and more flowers. Zach took a deep breath, inhaling the heady perfume blooming in the garden. He reminded himself that this is important and this is exactly where he should be. He turned and walked back into the house because he was running out of time to do what he came here to do.

The house was full of people running around—a few of them even had headsets on. It only took him a couple of minutes to find the room he was looking for. Without hesitation, he opened the door and found one of the most beautiful sights he had ever laid eyes on. Frankie was standing looking in the mirror wearing a white tux complete with a white bowtie. His makeup was flawless, professionally done no doubt, and his hair was perfectly in place. He turned around at the sound of the door opening.

“Zach, what are you doing here?” Frankie questioned.

“You invited me. You didn’t actually think I was going to miss the wedding of the century did you,” Zach answered quickly.

Frankie sighed, “I don’t mean here. I mean what are you doing here in my room? I am trying to put on my finishing touches for my big day.”

For a moment Zach hesitated but he continued, “I thought it was time for...what did you call it? Closure.”

“Now is not the time to deal with your shit. I told you over a year ago that we needed closure and it was time to move on. It’s my fucking wedding day Zach,” Frankie chided.

“I know I know. But don’t you think we need to finally close this door before you walk down the aisle?” Zach asked.

“Zachary, what I wanted was to close that door so that I could finally have a relationship without you in the back of my head. That ever nagging feeling that I would have to drop everything and head to Florida to pull you out of whatever stupor you found yourself in,” Frankie challenged.

“That is not fair and you know it. I have not needed you to come rescue me or whatever you want to call it in years. I have done a shit ton of work on myself and it would be nice if you recognized it for once. You know not everything is about you Frankie,” Zach retorted, turning around to take a deep breath. He needed to stop the tears that were currently pooling in his eyes. He wiped his face and turned back to Frankie and added, “It is just that I have been in therapy, which you damn well know. _We_ decided that I needed to finally let go in order to move on.”

“Ok well you’re here and you can see clearly that I am moving on. Now can you let go. Please finally let go.” Frankie was choking on his words as they came out, barely holding back the beginnings of a sob.

“I am and I have decided to choose happiness. I now know that does not include you no matter how much I try to manifest you returning to my life. I can now accept that you left and you are not coming back again,” Zach countered. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? This is the game you are going to play? I’m the villain while poor Zach is left licking his wounds. The evil Frank shattered Zachary’s fragile little heart in his bare hands leaving him a withering damaged mess. _FUCK YOU_ ,” Frankie ranted, storming over to the vanity. He sat down forcefully, dropping his head into his hands. 

“That’s not what I said. Would you just fucking listen to me for once?” Zach begged.

Frankie looked up at Zach, “No you listen. You were not the only one heartbroken and you know it. I did not leave you. You left me alone in that hotel room all by myself— _again_. What the hell was I supposed to do?” He stood up and took a few steps closer to Zach. “You know I told Jon-Erik not to come with me because I was going to get a chance to have alone time with you. Finally away from everyone else. Then what happened?” Frankie challenged, looking right into Zach’s eyes before turning around. “What always happened, you texted me and said you couldn’t make it. My heart split in two. I knew in that moment you could never really be there for me and I had to choose a life without you, even if it broke me,” Frankie nearly whispered. He now had both hands on the back of the vanity chair with his head down, tears escaping from his eyes.

“Frankie, you knew what I was going through. I couldn’t be there, it was just too much. I’m sorry and you know I always loved you. I just...I just couldn’t do it,” Zach conceded. 

Softly almost inaudibly, Frankie said, “I know, I know”

“I never thought that would be the end and you would just leave—be done after everything we meant to each other,” Zach faltered, a catch in his voice bringing him to a halt.

“You still don’t get it do you? You were forcing me in the closet with you. I can’t live like that. I need to live my life out loud. I can’t be someone’s dirty little secret,” Frankie accused, his heart racing at the memory of that feeling.

After a brief silence, Zach walked over to Frankie and placed a hand on his shoulder. Zach promised, “You were never a dirty little secret. At the time I just didn’t know what all of this meant. I was so wrapped up in my head, trying to hide myself but never hide _you._ ” He took a step, turning away to try and gather his thoughts so as not to say the wrong thing. “Frankie, I loved you more than I ever thought I could love another human being. I didn’t know what to make of that. I had lied to myself for so long about being attracted to men and there you were making me deal with feelings I had buried so deep that I didn’t even know they existed.”

“I never once said you had to define your sexuality. I just wanted to share our love with the world,” Frankie implored.

“I didn’t mean you directly forced me to deal with these feelings,” Zach tried. He paced around the room. Frankie was trying to take in every word as he added, “I mean the fact that you were there and I could not deny my attraction and feelings for you made me deal with my identity as a whole. I never once doubted the love I felt for you. What I doubted was me. The only thing I was ever sure of was that I was in love with Frank James Michael Grande Marchione.” Zach could no longer control the tears as they cascaded down his face.

Frankie leaned against the back of the chair, not able to hold up his weight as he thought about the words that just came out of Zach's mouth. He took a deep breath and confessed, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more supportive. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make you the center of my universe—like you deserved. I’m sorry I didn’t acknowledge when you did finally come out. I was just so mad that you mentioned me and just felt free to tell even a portion of our story when for years I was forced into silence. Do you know what that was like—to see my name all over social media with yours while I was still trying to get over you?!”

Zach chuckled, “When has Frankie Grande ever been against seeing his name in an article?”

Frankie rolled his eyes. “This is not a joke. I was pissed. Why was it so necessary to bring me into the narrative at that point?”

“You’re kidding me, right? How on Earth do I tell my journey without mentioning you? You are the catalyst to my story,” Zach explained. He took a few steps towards Frankie. Zach found himself gently caressing Frankie’s cheek before taking a step back declaring, “You were my first love and no matter what happens that is a fact that will never change.”

Frankie had to gather himself, taking a deep stuttered breath. “You know I am proud of you right. I am so happy that you can finally live your truth and everyone gets to see the beautiful man, inside and out, that I fell in love with,” he admitted. He took a couple steps towards Zach who had resumed pacing. “It wasn’t all heartache you know. We had a lot of fun too. Remember New York?” Frankie asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“I could never forget New York. I was in such a haze of love. It was just you and me against the world. Remember the first time you took me to the Box? God, I was such a fish out of water,” Zach recalled. They both laughed. When they stopped, they were looking into each other’s eyes.

Frankie reached up and moved Zach’s hair out of his face. “Our timing sucked—you know that. It would have been fun if you would have been the one on my arm. But I wouldn’t trade a second with you for anything in the world,” Frankie murmured. Frankie closed the distance and their lips met gently. He ran his hands through Zach’s hair as their lips danced together like old partners. Zach lightly bit at Frankie’s bottom lip before he pulled away, taking a step back.

“Ok I have to do this now before something happens we both regret,” Zach warned.

“I’m sorry I got caught in the moment,” Frankie apologized, returning to the vanity, sitting on the small stool.

“Frankie I love you and I wish you all the happiness in the world. Basically what I wanted to say is goodbye,” Zach declared.

“Zach, come on it's not goodbye. It’s ‘see you later’. We will be friends like we always have,” Frankie countered.

“No Frankie, I am saying goodbye. We are not now and we have never been friends. I have to have all of you or none. So this is goodbye and thank you. I love you and I always will,” Zach concluded. He quickly turned and walked out the door without saying another word. He went back out into the garden. He took a seat in the back row, not wanting to draw any attention to the fact that he was in attendance.

Shortly after taking a seat music began to play and everyone rose. Zach barely paid attention as one person after another walked down the aisle. Then there was Frankie, standing there with his arm looped with Joan’s, pausing just before he walked down the aisle. When Frankie reached the altar, Zach thought to himself, _that door is now closed, time to go open a new one._ He exited out the back, hoping to not be noticed as he left.

Zach’s heart was racing, his feet like lead weights as he forced himself to walk away from the house, down the street to his car. Just when he thought he might pass out, everything lightened. The sun glowed on the horizon and he felt a shift. He felt lighter, as if his heart dropped a weight he’d been carrying for years. He reached for his car keys, unlocking the door when he heard, “Zach wait.” He turned around and found Frankie standing there.

“I couldn’t do it. It’s always been you,” Frankie professed. Frankie was closer now, grabbing both of Zach’s hands. “He doesn’t love me, who am I kidding? He loves _Frankie Grande_ and what comes with him. But you always saw me and loved _me_. I have loved you all these years. I am tired of trying to find a replacement. I love you. I want you. I choose you.”

“I love you and I would choose you everytime. You know I would have waited forever to hear those words,” Zach promised. They smiled at each other. Frankie pulled Zach in, sliding his arms up around his neck. Zach wrapped his arms around Frankie’s waist, pulling him closer, the embrace bringing their lips together. At that moment they knew that this was where they needed to be—together.


End file.
